# South Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)

South Donegal was a UK Parliament constituency in Ireland, returning one Member of Parliament 1885–1922.
Prior to the 1885 general election the area was part of the Donegal constituency. From 1922, on the establishment of the Irish Free State, it was not represented in the UK Parliament.

## Boundaries

This constituency comprised the southern part of County Donegal, consisting of the baronies of Banagh and Tirhugh.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Note |
| 1885, 8 December | Bernard Kelly | Irish Parliamentary | replaced Thomas Lea |
| 1886, 1 July | Bernard Kelly | Irish Parliamentary | Died 1 January 1887 |
| 1887, 2 February | J. G. Swift MacNeill | Irish Parliamentary | By-election |
| 1890, December $^1$ | J. G. Swift MacNeill | Irish National Federation | Party split |
| 1891, March $^1$ | J. G. Swift MacNeill | Irish National Federation | Party reunion |
| 1900, 6 October | J. G. Swift MacNeill | Irish Parliamentary | |
| 1918, 14 December $^2$ | Peter J. Ward | Sinn Féin | Did not take his seat in the House of Commons |
| 1922, 26 October | UK constituency abolished | UK constituency abolished | UK constituency abolished |
Note:-
* $^1$ Not an election, but the date of a party change. The Irish Parliamentary Party had been created in 1882, on the initiative of Charles Stewart Parnell's Irish National League. Both the IPP and the INL split into Parnellite and Anti-Parnellite factions, in December 1890. The Parnellites remained members of the Irish National League after the split and the Anti-Parnellites organised the Irish National Federation in March 1891. The two organisations and the United Irish League merged in 1900, to re-create the Irish Parliamentary Party.
* $^2$ Date of polling day. The result was declared on 28 December 1918, to allow time for votes cast by members of the armed forces to be included in the count.

## Elections
### Elections in the 1880s

1885 general election: South Donegal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Bernard Kelly | 5,055 | 78.7 | |
| | Irish Conservative | Arthur William Hamilton Foster | 1,369 | 21.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,686 | 57.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,424 | 81.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,854 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) | Irish Parliamentary win (new seat) |
1886 general election: South Donegal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Bernard Kelly | 4,905 | 77.8 | −0.9 |
| | Irish Conservative | Arthur William Hamilton Foster | 1,399 | 22.2 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,506 | 55.6 | −1.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,304 | 80.3 | −1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,854 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Swing | −0.9 | |
By-election, 1887: South Donegal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | J. G. Swift MacNeill | 4,604 | 83.1 | +5.3 |
| | Liberal Unionist | Henry Munster | 933 | 16.9 | −5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,671 | 66.2 | +10.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,537 | 70.7 | −9.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,837 | | |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Swing | +5.3 | |

### Elections in the 1890s

1892 general election: South Donegal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | J. G. Swift MacNeill | 3,930 | 73.7 | −4.1 |
| | Irish Unionist | Henry Stubbs | 1,400 | 26.3 | +4.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,530 | 47.4 | −8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,330 | 79.4 | −0.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,710 | | |
| | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Irish National Federation gain from Irish Parliamentary | Swing | −4.1 | |
1895 general election: South Donegal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish National Federation | J. G. Swift MacNeill | 3,614 | 73.4 | −0.3 |
| | Irish Unionist | Henry Stubbs | 1,313 | 26.6 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,301 | 46.8 | −0.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,927 | 77.2 | −2.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,380 | | |
| | Irish National Federation hold | Irish National Federation hold | Swing | −0.3 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

1900 general election: South Donegal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | J. G. Swift MacNeill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
1906 general election: South Donegal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | J. G. Swift MacNeill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |

### Elections in the 1910s

January 1910 general election: South Donegal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | J. G. Swift MacNeill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
December 1910 general election: South Donegal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Parliamentary | J. G. Swift MacNeill | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold | Irish Parliamentary hold |
1918 general election: South Donegal :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Sinn Féin | Peter J. Ward | 5,787 | 54.9 | New |
| | Irish Parliamentary | John Donovan | 4,752 | 45.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,035 | 9.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,539 | 62.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,894 | | |
| | Sinn Féin gain from Irish Parliamentary | Sinn Féin gain from Irish Parliamentary | Swing | N/A | |